As the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC) readies to host the third leg of its 2025 MSME Business Roadshow in Santa Cruz at the St Elizabeth Technical High School on Thursday, March 6, entrepreneurs in the south-western parish should be preparing to win prizes in in the Micro Business Pitch and Small Business Pitch.

Both competitions will see the participation of five business owners vying for $200,000 in the Micro Business Pitch and another five seeking to snag $400,000 in the Small Business Pitch—both totaling $3 million in prize monies.

The MSME Business Roadshow in St Elizabeth follows on the successful stagings at the Twickenham Park Church of the Open Bible in St Catherine on January 16 and Juici Empowerment Park in Clarendon on February 20. MIIC held both roadshows in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“The impact of the MIIC MSME Business Roadshow is undeniable. We are distributing well-needed funding to entrepreneurs to expand their capabilities and their capacities,” explained Sancia Bennett Templer, permanent secretary at the MIIC.

“The Ministry has several reports from pitch winners in Phase One, which detail the direct positive impacts of the grants on their businesses. The MIIC has already distributed 20 grants totalling $6 million in Phase Two and are enthused with all that these entrepreneurs are trying to accomplish for their businesses,” she added.

Among the event’s sponsors are the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) through its Community Renewal Programme (CRP); Mastercard; HEART/NSTA Trust; Development Bank of Jamaica; Hi-Pro; Jamalco; Pepsi; and ATL Automotive Group.

The MSME Business Roadshow underscores MIIC’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and business growth across Jamaica. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to register early to secure their spot by visiting roadshow.miic.gov.jm.

Attendees will have access to 19 agencies under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, along with support from other government entities, financial institutions, and corporate sponsors. The one-stop-gateway will also feature the MSME Expo Village, Tech Corner, and knowledge-sharing sessions with topics such as ‘Set the Link—Exploring strategies to boost MSME engagement with large businesses’ and ‘Access to Affordable Financing: Attracting, Maintaining & Making that Bang for the Buck’.

Emphasising the wealth of opportunities available, director of corporate communications and public relations at MIIC, Keriece Harris, is encouraging MSMEs to attend and take full advantage of the information, services, and products on offer. “MSMEs in and around St Elizabeth, we’re inviting you to register for the MIIC’s MSME Business Roadshow on Thursday, March 6 at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School in Santa Cruz. So come on out, meet with government agencies and our private sector partners who are ready to support you and your business to start, innovate, grow and export. Plus, they’re going to be many prizes and surprises. We want to see you!”